Riff Tone

Aero Zeppelin

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarUnivox Hi-Flier Phase 3

AmpMesa/Boogie Studio Preamp into Crown Power Base 2 power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabinet

PickupsP-90 style single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Boss DS-1 Distortion

Notes

Studio recording, 1992-1993, 'Incesticide' sessions. Gear confirmed for this era and song by multiple sources. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this specific track's riff section.

Tone Character(10)

raw and mid-heavyaggressive attackgritty and saturatedtight palm-muted power chordspercussive rhythmslightly scooped but not thinpunchy and dynamicopen, uncompressed feelarticulate note separationclassic Cobain rhythm grind

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, aggressive palm muting, fast power chord transitions, and dynamic right-hand control to capture the percussive, driving feel of the original recording.

Sources

Kurt Cobain's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard Kurt Cobain‘s guitar tone on Nirvana‘s Smells Like Teen Spirit: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World Kurt's guitar playing : r/Nirvana - Reddit

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